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15 month old dd won't drink milk out of a cup, only a bottle. Has anyone else had the experience of dealing with this and how did you fix it?!?

She drinks 16 ounces of milk a day...but only out of a bottle.
She will be 15 months old tomorrow.
I want to get her off the bottle finally but I don't know how to get her to drink milk out of a cup!
Now, I know some of you say they don't need milk...and thats fine...but I don't agree.I think mine DOES need milk...so please don't give me any answers like that, it won't be helpful to me.Thanks.
Anyway, I offer her milk in a cup daily.

I've warmed it up.I've tried adding strawberry and chocolate flavoring.I've tried giving it to her out of a "big persons" cup..soon as she sees its milk, she turns her head.

Last question. IF I do not succeed in getting her to drink milk from a cup...how many servings a day of other dairy products should I offer to her to replace the milk? Such as cottage cheese,cheese sticks,yogurt (thankfully she likes all those)

I went through this with my DD... she refused the cup if it had milk in it... I just kept giving her the cup.. I didnt give in.. Sooner or later she will drink out of it.. You can try getting yogurt to give her for the calcium. Hang in there you can do it..

Let's see. I threw out all of the bottles because if they aren't in the house, she cannot manipulate me into giving her a bottle. She will not dehydrate and will take it from a cup (try a straw) when she realizes that she won't get her way.

The only way I got my dd off the bottle was to have her throw all of them away... of course, I kept one just in case- but hid it so she couldn't see it. Then, I explained to her that she was a big girl and could only use big girl cups. Never had trouble after that. Now she uses a sippy cup with no trouble! good luck!

Answer by
Anonymous
at 12:57 PM on May. 14, 2010

I gave dd a sippy cup instead! DD tried throwing the bottle away at 8 mos for the sippy cup but she wouldn't drink her formula out of it. As for a big kid cup, I introduced them at 18 mos and now at 2.5 she finally gets the concept! Yes, it took a while but before that she would get frustrated about spilling it on her shirt and having to change! Or you could give her a straw instead! That worked for dd at a year with real milk...

She DOES use a sippy cup and a straw cup. She will drink anything BUT milk out of them.
Getting her off the bottle isn't the problem, its getting her to drink milk out of a cup,lol.~OP

Answer by
Anonymous
at 1:12 PM on May. 14, 2010

Get her a sippy cup that has a straw in it, i bet she will take that no problem...i had alot of people asked me the same question and they said she would not take a sippy cup, i told them to get them one with a straw into iit .
my DD used these she would not take a bottle and we went threw lots of bottles and sippy cups...and when we gave her this one she took it wothout a problem...now we have her on a regular sippy cup that tips up good luck

I agree milk is very important. Don't force the sippy cup. Wait a while and then buy some fun looking sippy cups. Playtex sells Baby Einstein themed ones that are fun to use. My Son used a bottle at meals until he was 3. That was the only way I got him to drink milk. No big deal. His teeth are fine. I think we often listen to what you are "supposed" to do with children when in fact, they will do what they are supposed to do when they are ready. Go at your own pace and don't rush anything. That goes for potty training too. I heard nightmares about the potty from others. They start too young and stress out the child. I just waited until I knew he understood what to do at 3 and I stopped using diapers during the day. A few wet pants and he figured it out without hysterics. When you push an issue, you create unnecessary stress for you and the child. Who cares what other people think. Do what is right for you and the child.

Answer by
Anonymous
at 1:20 PM on May. 14, 2010

I would throw out the bottles and let her drink what she will of the milk. Try a straw cup if you haven't already. And give other calcium sources. My second daughter won't drink milk at all (except just recently, at 20 months, will drink what's left from her cereal), but has yogurt first thing every morning, cheese or yogurt as part of other meals, and I manage to get spinach or broccoli in a lot of things we eat.

Potty training and bottles, pacifiers too, are all ridiculous at three. I'm not talking about you, OP, because you're looking for a solution, but a lot of people these days just want everything about parenting to be totally convenient, that children should do things exactly when they want to do them and not a second sooner, and that parenting should require no work. In a loving, nurturing, supportive environment, you can help your child through any transition, potty training, bottles...